Hey guys,

I was thinking about building a Tiger I. However there seem to be about a dozen or more kits out there. I saw an Academy Mid Production kit with Interior. It looks nice with an interior to it and all. A hefty $ tag on it too. $55.00! Is this kit one of the better ones? Or is there another to consider.

Thanks
Deacon

I have the Academy Early production without interior and like the looks of it. Its still in the box, but I am looking to start it around the Holidays. The kit you choose should meet the criteria you set, ie. accuracy, ease of build, cost, quality etc. etc. Tamiya makes a good one too, and italeri makes a copy as well. Fine Scale Modeller did a Tiger kit review a few issues ago and listed all the kits available in all scales. Try obtaining a copy of the review, unfortunately all my FSM issues are in a box on the way to Sicily with the rest of my house so I can't be of much help. Good Luck and happy hunting.

Chief is right about that Tiger kit round-up in FSM (May 2002). Get ahold of that if you can. The academy tiger kits are good. I have personally built the early version by Academy and really liked it. To quote FSM on the Academy Tiger I mid-production with interior (1347), "This is an impressive model.", "The parts are finely detailed", "The only problems were a few simple-to-fix interior inaccuracies" and "..."must have" kit, and it's a great value". I guess its good...lol! The early Tiger I built from Academy is the same kit as the one described above minus the interior and backdated roadwheels.

The Academy kit with the interior is expensive, but it should be about the same price as the Tamiya one, which doesn't include the interior. If you don't care about having the interior, Academy does sell their Tigers without it for a lot less money. If you're in the US, $55 seems overpriced for the interior kit, though. I'm sure I could get it for around $60 CDN here. Anyway, the Academy Tigers are very good. I've never built the Tamiya one, but from what I have read, Academy is at least as good. Maybe the Tamiya figures would be better if that's important to you.

Nic

Best 1 hobbies (you'll see their banner at the top sometimes) has the Academy Early Tiger-1 with interior for $45.

If price is what scares you and you just want a buildable Tiger, then the Italeri kits are the way to go. They make one with and without zimmerit. I hear the one without is better because the zimmerit is molded onto the surface and that leads to problems with assembly. Either runs less than $20.

I just checked at www.militaryhobbies.com and they have the Academy Mid- and Early-Production Tiger I with full interior for $39.95 US. They also have the Early Tiger I without interior on sale for $19.95 US. Those are pretty good prices, if you ask me.

Nic

I have the Italerie Tiger 1 late production that I picked up at the Exchange a few years ago for about $10, and I haven't had too many problems with it. It comes with only a partial turret interior, but unless you're going to leave the turret bail-out hatch open, have the turret roof and the upper deck removeable, no one is going to be able to see much anyway through the hatches.
The only problem that I've had with the zimmerit was application of the thin moulded sheets onto the sides of the turret; trying to get the 2 pieces to curve around the back side of the turret without breaking up. Once you get that done, the turret storage box goes on to cover the seam. The hull does come with alternate sides with the Zimmerit moulded on and a second gun mantlet with zimmerit.
Again, it depends on if you want to fork over the extra Pound notes and put in every nut and bolt, right down to the drivers pin-up girl, or have a tank that looks and feels right when you look at it on the shelf when its done.

This is a link to the same question asked on missing links recently

http://www.network54.com/Hide/Forum/thread?forumid=47207&messageid=1031846391

Hopefully this might help as well!

I built Italeri's Tiger Ausf E (late). It was the kit with the zimmerit. I didn't have any trouble constructing it, just plan ahead and follow the directions (oh, I had to use generous amounts of glue to get that zimmerit to stick around the turret! ).

But, I think the zimmerit seems a bit 'thick' so you may want to try and thin it down.

Also has the length and link tracks that for me are better than the rubber bands.

As with other Italeri kits, you may want to add some details; new tools and clamps, cupola MG, etc.

Not bad for the price and a good base to start with.

Steve

Thanks to all!

Like I thought there are so many kits to look at! I have built Italeri kits before. I like them but the finer details always seem to be lacking.

I think that I am leaning more towards the Academy kit, Mid production with interior. I like the details. Only think I guess is that I will need to buy a set of individual tracks to go on the kit. Or do the Academy kits come with both types as in other offerrings that they have available?

Thanks again guys, you all are great!

Deacon

The one I got (Tiger I (Early) without interior) only has vinyl tracks, with a few individual links for spares.

Nic